Facebook has allegedly been working on an artist platform that will act as a showcase for new and existing talent, with pages created by solo artists, bands and record labels.

Key to the success of the venture are a series of widget plug-ins that wil enable you to buy tracks from the featured artists. One of the plugs-in will apparently fire users over to Apple's iTunes Store.

MySpace: gaudy and cluttered

The arrival of a Facebook artist platform could initiate a wave of defections from MySpace, which is seen as gaudy and cluttered when compared to the minimalist look that Facebook has.

This also won't be the first time that Apple and Facebook have enjoyed a bit of a love-in. Facebook's programmers have already created an iPhone-friendly version of their website - and Apple has previously run iTunes promos with Facebook aimed at US college students.